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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25644583">We Like This Arisu Better</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/LegendaryBiologist13/pseuds/LegendaryBiologist13'>LegendaryBiologist13</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>A3! (Video Game)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Awkwardness, Fluff, Light Angst, M/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 12:02:33</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,515</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25644583</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/LegendaryBiologist13/pseuds/LegendaryBiologist13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>When Homare becomes Sagishima, Hisoka isn't the only one worried about him.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Arisugawa Homare/Mikage Hisoka, Arisugawa Homare/Takatoo Tasuku, Takatoo Tasuku/Tsukioka Tsumugi</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>74</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>We Like This Arisu Better</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Inspired by Homare's [Yes, Sir!] SSR backstage. There are lines taken directly from the backstage, but some are modified. Also I was debating about whether I should use last name or not since it was written in Tasuku's POV, but went with last names at the end.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sunlight came down upon the courtyard of Mankai dorm, gently as the morning breeze. A soccer ball rolled across the patch of swaying grass and came to a stop behind Tsumugi, who was watering a potted narcissus.</p><p>Sighing, Tasuku walked towards the ball. How many times had he flubbed with his practice today? Thankfully it was a ball control drill; if it'd been a shooting drill, he'd have hurt Tsumugi.</p><p>As Tasuku reached the ball with a foot, Tsumugi turned. "Tasuku?"</p><p>"Nothing." It was a lie, and Tasuku was sure as hell that Tsumugi would see through it.</p><p>"Really?" Tsumugi chuckled. "This isn't the first time you messed up with your practice today."</p><p>There really was no escape from his childhood friend. Well, he could simply resume his drill, but with that thing haunting his mind, he'd just make a mistake over and over again.</p><p>Tasuku tried to speak, only to end up remaining still as a statue. Spilling whatever was in his mind? What a pain in the ass.</p><p>"It's okay, Tachan. I'm all ears."</p><p>"Stop with the Tachan, Tsumu," he grumbled. This time, it was more like a flimsy attempt to avoid talking than a reflex triggered by that embarrassing childhood nickname of his.</p><p>"You should let it all out." Tsumugi gave Tasuku a concerned look. "You know, I'm worried that it'll affect your acting."</p><p>Tsumugi had a point. Nothing was worse than messing up on the rehearsals and especially the stage; people had always expected much from Tasuku, a former top actor in God Troupe, and he'd better live up to their expectations.</p><p>As much as Tasuku hated it, he finally said in a wistful tone, "It's about Arisugawa."</p><p>Tsumugi nodded. "I see." He laughed softly, complete with an annoyingly amused look on his face. "It's good to know that you can be honest with your feelings sometimes."</p><p>"There's nothing funny about that," Tasuku groused.</p><p>"Well, you tried."</p><p>Tasuku sighed. "I just don't want this to affect our performance, get it? Well, listen. I'm just wondering…" His face sagged, as if he'd just lost someone important to him. "Will Arisugawa be back to normal soon?"</p><p>Tsumugi's amused face faded into a sad look. "I hope so, but I think it'll take a while. It must've been quite an impact for him to stop reciting poems."</p><p>"Yeah." Tasuku pulled the ball back towards him and dribbled away from Tsumugi, a pang of guilt shooting up from his chest. Arisugawa was the lead for this play, and Tasuku had been scolding him more than usual, with harsher words; hell, Tasuku thought Sakyo would be proud of him for being this strict.</p><p>Maybe Tasuku had hurt Arisugawa's feelings. Maybe right now, Arisugawa was trying his best to impress him by acting so much like Sagishima for the whole day.</p><p>Yet it'd be silly if he told all that to Tsumugi, wouldn't it?</p>
<hr/><p>Tasuku couldn't take it anymore. The more he watched Arisugawa doing Matsukawa's paperwork and helping Fushimi in the kitchen like a pro, the more his heart ached. If anything, he almost blurted out an apology to Arisugawa at the crowded dining table.</p><p>Well, Tasuku <em>should</em> apologize, but definitely not in front of many people. It'd be awkward.</p><p>Knocking on the door of room 205, Tasuku hissed. There were a lot to consider when apologizing to Arisugawa. He certainly wouldn't want the loon to spout poetic bullshit afterwards, but the most important thing? He wouldn't want to further hurt Arisugawa's feelings.</p><p>How should he phrase his apology so that neither of those would happen? He'd always been horrible at this. Hell, maybe Arisugawa was way better than him when it came to this, even if he'd repeatedly told everyone that he sucked at understanding how others felt.</p><p>A click, and the door opened. Arisugawa stood there with a feather duster in his hand.</p><p>"Good evening, Master Tasuku." He smiled, at which Tasuku's eyes widened. It was pleasant and at the same time, incredibly refined. It was as if Arisugawa was indeed a nobleman's butler.</p><p>Why did Arisugawa call him "master" anyway? It only made his chest hurt more than it'd been.</p><p>"May I come in?" Tasuku asked, barely able to assume a poker face. "We need to talk."</p><p>"Certainly."</p><p>As Tasuku stepped into the room, his focus immediately went to Mikage's side of the room. Mikage lay on his loft bed, his eye open; it looked like he was trying to hold back tears. As if the black-and-white desk and decors on his side weren't depressing enough...</p><p>Mikage probably felt the same way; like Tasuku, he'd also gone a bit too far with his words recently. Mikage was the co-lead, so working together with a wacky partner like Arisugawa should be rough.</p><p>Once Arisugawa closed the door, Tasuku said, "So, uh…"</p><p>"Yes?"</p><p>Tasuku grimaced. Man, this was such a pain! What should he say?</p><p>"What is the matter?" Arisugawa asked.</p><p>He was looking like an idiot now, Tasuku swore. Instinctively, he blurted, "I'm sorry for having been very harsh towards you recently, Arisugawa." Damn, his apology lacked something; he could feel it.</p><p>Arisugawa raised an eyebrow. "I beg your pardon?"</p><p>"You're the lead for the play so…" Tasuku took a deep breath. "I really want you to shine on the stage." He looked at the long-faced Mikage. "I'm sure he'd love to see that too."</p><p>"I miss your marshmallows, Arisu," Mikage added. "Your poems too."</p><p>What a typical Mikage way to phrase an apology, Tasuku thought. But that he added something about poems, in a very heartfelt way… Ah, Tasuku should talk about the poems too.</p><p>"I...cannot say I understand what you are speaking of," Arisugawa replied.</p><p>Tasuku smiled a bit; as an actor, he knew how to make it so that his smile didn't look forced. However, this was more about hiding the pain of watching Arisugawa's behavior than having to praise the weird stuff he called poems; if anything, Tasuku should give genuine praises. "Honestly, your poems aren't all that bad," he said. "They're actually pretty fun."</p><p>"My apologies, but I do not recall having penned a poem."</p><p>Tasuku's eyes widened. He wasn't as good as Tsumugi at reading people, but this was so easy that it was unnerving. Arisugawa's expression and tone showed no guile at all.</p><p>What the hell was happening?</p>
<hr/><p>Tasuku had spent the entire night thinking about what happened to Arisugawa; thankfully, Tsumugi had slept like a log and never noticed his restlessness. Was another urban legend involved in this? Or was he just that bad at expressing himself?</p><p>Whatever it was, Tasuku hoped Arisugawa would return to normal soon. From what he'd seen, Mikage would prefer the good ol' noisy Arisu than this refined Arisu too.</p><p>Yawning, Tasuku sat on the couch of the living room, together with Tsumugi, Mikage, and Azuma. Sakyo approached them with a large stack of documents.</p><p>Behind him Izumi asked, "Sakyo? What's with the mountain of paperwork?"</p><p>Sakyo slammed it down on the table. "It's for Arisugawa. I'm taking this opportunity to have him finish up all the paperwork that Matsukawa's been shirking."</p><p>Izumi scrutinized the documents. "That's a lot."</p><p>Footsteps echoed from behind Tasuku. Looking back, he saw Arisugawa walk towards them.</p><p>Sakyo began, "Ah, there you are, Arisuga-"</p><p>"A good morning to you!" Arisugawa cut in. "Is it not a nice, refreshing morning, indeed?"</p><p>Tasuku knew that cheerful tone all too well.</p><p>"Homare?" Izumi murmured.</p><p>Sakyo gasped. "Oh, no..."</p><p>"How are you feeling today?" Tasuku asked.</p><p>"Is everyone quite all right? Your faces are all so white. You look like you've seen a ghost…" Arisugawa stroked his chin. "Hmm, looking at your faces has brought inspiration to mind."</p><p>This had to be the Arisugawa they all knew, Tasuku thought with a small smile. There was no mistaking it.</p><p>"'Coo' cries the pigeon, his eyes a-burning…" Arisugawa recited. Then he spread his arms and shouted, "An explosive encounter!"</p><p>For some reason, Tasuku immediately sighed. Perhaps it was reflex from having heard Arisugawa's weird poems and dissing them too many times during breakfast, lunch, dinner, rehearsals, and… There were way too many to remember!</p><p>Azuma chuckled. "I see you're back to normal."</p><p>Tasuku shrugged. "That's our Arisugawa, all right."</p><p>Mikage rose to his feet and ran towards Arisugawa. "Arisu?"</p><p>Sakyo growled. "Dammit."</p><p>Arisugawa scratched his head. "Why does everyone look so disappointed?"</p><p>Before anyone could speak up, Mikage tugged at Arisugawa's coat like a spoiled brat. "Marshmallows."</p><p>Smiling broadly, Arisugawa pulled a pack of marshmallows from his coat pocket. "Of course, I have some here."</p><p>Tasuku had expected Mikage to grab the marshmallows and run, but instead he wrapped his arms around Arisugawa and pulled him into a tight hug. Leaning against him as if he were a pillow, Mikage let out a relieved smile. "I like this Arisu better."</p><p>Honestly, so did Tasuku. He did wonder if his and Mikage's words last night brought Arisugawa back, but... Ah, digging it back up would be silly, wouldn't it?</p><p>The good ol' noisy Arisugawa had returned, and that was all that mattered.</p>
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